Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “SANITATION”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,477 records · Page 82Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Achieving the 'good life': why some people want latrines in rural Benin.

Nearly half the world's population lacks basic sanitation to protect their environment from human fecal contamination. Building a latrine is the first step on the sanitation ladder in developing countries where a majority of the population defecates in open or public areas. Public health programs to improve sanitation have consistently framed promotional messages in terms of fecal-oral disease prevention and largely fail to motivate changes in sanitation behavior. A qualitative consumer study using in-depth interviews with 40 household heads was carried out to explore the decision to install a pit latrine in rural Benin. The motives for installing a latrine are reported and variations across the interviews are examined. The paper asserts that at least one active drive (desire for change or dissatisfaction) from among 11 found is needed to motivate latrine adoption. Drives involved prestige, well-being, and situational goals. Health considerations played only a minor role, and had little if anything to do with preventing fecal-oral disease transmission. Drives varied with gender, occupation, life stage, travel experience, education, and wealth, and reflected perceptions of the physical and social geography of the village, linked to availability of open defecation sites, social structure, road access, and urban proximity. The results have broad implications for new messages and strategies to promote sanitation in developing countries.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Risk assessment of hand washing efficacy using literature and experimental data.

This study simulated factors that influence the levels of bacteria on foodservice workers' hands. Relevant data were collected from the scientific literature and from laboratory experiments. Literature information collected included: initial bacterial counts on hands and water faucet spigots, bacterial population changes during hand washing as effected by soap type, sanitizing agent, drying method, and the presence of rings. Experimental data were also collected using Enterobacter aerogenes as a surrogate for transient bacteria. Both literature and experimental data were translated into appropriate discrete or probability distribution functions. The appropriate statistical distribution for each phase of the hand washing process was determined. These distributions were: initial count on hands, beta (2.82, 2.32, 7.5); washing reduction using regular soap, beta (3.01, 1.91, -3.00, 0.60); washing reduction using antimicrobial soap, beta (4.19, 2.99, -4.50, 1.50); washing reduction using chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), triangular (-4.75, -1.00, 0); reductions from hot air drying, beta (3.52, 1.92, -0.20, 1.00); reduction from paper towel drying, triangular (-2.25, -0.75, 0); reduction due to alcohol sanitizer, gamma (-1.23, 4.42) -5.8; reduction due to alcohol-free sanitizer, gamma (2.22, 5.38) -5.00; and the effect of rings, beta (8.55, 23.35, 0.10, 0.45). Experimental data were fit to normal distributions (expressed as log percentage transfer rate): hand-to-spigot transfer, normal (-0.80, 1.09); spigot to hand, normal (0.36, 0.90). Soap with an antimicrobial agent (in particular, CHG) was observed to be more effective than regular soap. Hot air drying had the capacity to increase the amount of bacterial contamination on hands, while paper towel drying caused a slight decrease in contamination. There was little difference in the efficacy of alcohol and alcohol-free sanitizers. Ring wearing caused a slight decrease in the efficacy of hand washing. The experimental data validated the simulated combined effect of certain hand washing procedures based on distributions derived from reported studies. The conventional hand washing system caused a small increase in contamination on hands vs. the touch-free system. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the primary factors influencing final bacteria counts on the hand were sanitizer, soap, and drying method. This research represents an initial framework from which sound policy can be promulgated to control bacterial transmission via hand contacts.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2003

Ozone and its current and future application in the food industry.

The food industry is interested considerably in using ozone to enhance the shelf-life and safety of food products and in exploring new applications of the sanitizer. This interest was recently accompanied by a US governmental approval of ozone for the safe use, in gaseous and aqueous phases, as an antimicrobial agent on food, including meat and poultry. Ozone has a strong microbicidal action against bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses when these microorganisms are present in low ozone-demand media. Readily available organic constituents in food, however, compete with microorganisms for applied ozone and thus efficacy of the treatment is minimized. Ozone is suitable for washing and sanitizing solid food with intact and smooth surfaces (e.g., fruits and vegetables) and ozone-sanitized fresh produce has recently been introduced in the US market. Use of ozone to sanitize equipment, packaging materials, and processing environment is currently investigated. Efforts to decontaminate bean sprouts and remove biofilm with ozone have not been successful. The antimicrobial efficacy can be enhanced considerably when ozonation is combined with other chemical (e.g., hydrogen peroxide) or physical (e.g., ultraviolet radiation) treatments. Mechanical action is also needed as a means to dislodge microorganisms from the surface of food and expose them to the action of the sanitizer. The food industry also is interested in using ozone to decontaminate processing water and decrease its chemical and biological oxygen demand. This application improves the reusability of processing water and allows for environment-friendly processing operations.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2000

[Decontamination of highly polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated indoor areas by complete removal of primary and secondary sources].

A new sanitization concept in a school highly contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is described. The maximum indoor air concentration was 13,100 ng/m3 PCB. Initially the average indoor PCB concentrations attained 6,000-7,000 ng/m3. A reduction to 226 +/- 89.1 ng/m3 (n = 24) was achieved. Ten months later the PCB concentration was 171 +/- 57.6 ng/m3 (n = 3). Primary sources were PCB-contaminated elastic sealants and the paint of radiators or heating elements. Also PCB-contaminated materials were walls, floors and ceilings. These secondary contaminations were also relevant for PCB indoor air concentrations. The primary sources were removed dust-free by manual procedures. Contrary to other sanitization concepts all secondary-contaminated PCB materials were also removed with a high-pressure water method specially developed for such cases. Because of the removal of all relevant primary and secondary PCB deposits, a lasting effect can be expected. By this sanitization concept, the use of new and less intensively explored products suppressing the diffusion of PCBs into the indoor air and whose toxicity is hardly known, may be prevented, thus avoiding the need for prolonged control measurements. Before using the above-mentioned new sanitization concept, another concept had been rejected for lack of efficiency, thus avoiding unnecessary costs. The companies performing sanitization should be compelled to accept a defined lowest PCB concentration.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Efficacy of electrolyzed oxidizing water for the microbial safety and quality of eggs.

During commercial processing, eggs are washed in an alkaline detergent and then rinsed with chlorine to reduce dirt, debris, and microorganism levels. The alkaline and acidic fractions of electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water have the ability to fit into the 2-step commercial egg washing process easily if proven to be effective. Therefore, the efficacy of EO water to decontaminate Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli K12 on artificially inoculated shell eggs was investigated. For the in vitro study, eggs were soaked in alkaline EO water followed by soaking in acidic EO water at various temperatures and times. Treated eggs showed a reduction in population between > or = 0.6 to > or =2.6 log10 cfu/g of shell for S. Enteritidis and > or =0.9 and > or =2.6 log10 for E. coli K12. Log10 reductions of 1.7 and 2.0 for S. Enteritidis and E. coli K12, respectively, were observed for typical commercial detergent-sanitizer treatments, whereas log10 reductions of > or =2.1 and > or =2.3 for S. Enteritidis and E. coli K12, respectively, were achieved using the EO water treatment. For the pilot-scale study, both fractions of EO water were compared with the detergent-sanitizer treatment using E. coli K12. Log10 reductions of > or = 2.98 and > or = 2.91 were found using the EO water treatment and the detergent-sanitizer treatment, respectively. The effects of 2 treatments on egg quality were investigated. EO water and the detergent-sanitizer treatments did not significantly affect albumen height or eggshell strength; however, there were significant affects on cuticle presence. These results indicate that EO water has the potential to be used as a sanitizing agent for the egg washing process.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effective control of microbial populations in polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane systems.

Sanitizers currently used in the food industry are not efficient in destroying bacterial populations in polysulfone UF membrane systems. A new sanitizer composition that releases chlorous acid and chlorine dioxide from sodium chlorite at pH 2.7 was evaluated. Polysulfone UF membranes were soiled for 2.5 h by circulating and concentrating Cheddar cheese whey and skim milk. A cleaning regimen was established whereby acid and caustic cleaning solutions were circulated to clean the UF membrane system. Restoring permeate flux to initial values did not indicate that the system was effectively cleaned. The UF system was sanitized by recycling sanitizer solutions. Stainless steel and membrane surfaces were examined by swabbing to determine bacterial populations and sections of membranes were removed for examination using a scanning electron microscope. The new sanitizer appeared to control microbial populations effectively in UF membrane systems.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

[New approaches to the treatment of postoperative peritonitis].

A retrospective comparative analysis of results of surgical treatment of 245 patients with postoperative peritonitis was made. In 114 patients (control group) furacin was used for sanitation of the abdominal cavity, and in 131 patients (main group) sanitation of the abdominal cavity was performed with water-soluble antibacterial ointments. It was established that the proposed ointment sanitation of the abdominal cavity in combination with active surgical methods based on using programmed relaparotomy resulted in 24.1% lower lethality as compared with the traditional method of sanitation. The authors assert that under conditions of marked polyorganic insufficiency the method of programmed relaparotomy with the ointment sanitation of the abdominal cavity is not very effective while using this method before the development of systemic complications is the decisive factor of the favorable prognosis.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Excreta disposal in Dar-es-Salaam.

The sociocultural and socioeconomic situation of sanitation in Dar-es-Salaam (Dsm), Tanzania, was studied with explicit emphasis on pit-latrines. Without considering the sociocultural conditions, the so-called best solution might not be the right one. Therefore, in order to achieve the intended goal, a literature review, a questionnaire survey, and personal visits to the chosen study areas were done. In total, 207 household questionnaires were filled in 16 areas of the city. Interviewers did house-to-house visits and questionnaires were filled out on the spot. Results indicated that the city population is about 3.8 million at present, with over 80% of the dwellers using pit-latrines; some 3% use septic tanks with soakage pits, about 6% are connected to the sewerage system, and 1% have no excreta disposal facility. Difficulties faced include dismal budget allocations, fragmentation of sanitation activities among subsectors, lack of or poor sanitation record keeping, unsatisfactory machinery for septic tank and pit-latrine emptying, lack of a clear policy on pit-latrine handling and, in competition for resources, low priority is accorded to an excreta disposal system among the people. City residents will continue to use the pit-latrines for a long time to come. Reusing the fecal sludge is not known by most city dwellers and is influenced by sociocultural habits. To prevent groundwater pollution and to recover useful products in human excreta and urine, ecological sanitation toilets and anaerobic digesters offer a good option.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

A need for community education in development: the Mit Abu El Kom case.

A quasi-experimental study was performed in Mit Abu El Kom Village, Egypt, where one-quarter of the 500 village households had been provided with new housing and indoor water and sanitation facilities and where, prior to this provision, water and sanitation facilities were inadequate or nonexistent among all households. No community health education had taken place among relocatees (subjects) or nonrelocatees (controls) in conjunction with the provision of water and sanitation facilities. This study investigated if subjects' access and exposure to facilities had alone been sufficient to significantly alter their relevant knowledge, attitudes and practices as compared to controls. This was accomplished primarily through structured household interview. Given that women are traditionally most affected by facilities and most effective in matters related to household health, one adult female from each sampled household was the respondent, totalling 123 for subjects and 111 for controls. Between-group comparisons of responses revealed overall nonsignificant differences in knowledge and attitudes and that respondent age and sex had no significant overall impact on responses. Age and sex were also discounted as affecting variables in within-group response analyses. Some significant changes in practices had occurred among subjects. However, these mainly resulted out of convenience and their potential benefits were often denigrated by changes which had not occurred or had not continued. The data indicate a need for community health education if health-related benefits of water and sanitation facilities are to be realized, and specifically indicate the need to address the educational needs of all village women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The importance of hygienic procedures in controlling mastitis.

Properly designed and instituted sanitation will improve milk quality and reduce mastitis. The majority of mammary infections occur during milking. Since the populations of pathogenic organisms on the teat are directly correlated to the incidence of udder infections, hygienic practices in the milking parlor are of major importance to accomplish effective mastitis control. The organisms causing mastitis have two general sources. The contagious pathogens originating from infected udders are passed from cow to cow. The environmental agents are ubiquitous, gaining entrance to the mammary gland from external sources; they do not rely on intramammary infection for survival in the dairy environment. Cow hygiene in the milking parlor consists of three separate steps: premilking cleansing, sanitation of the milking unit between cows, and covering the teats with a germicide after milking. Each step has separate requirements in terms of product selection, concentration of germicide, time commitment, and mechanical assistance. Premilking sanitation is most effective against coliform-like infections as well as the other environmentals. Unit flushing and teat dipping are the greater deterrents to infection from the contagious pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, and the Mycoplasma species. Extra care needs to be given to hygiene measures when infusing the mammary gland with antibiotics. Dipping the teats in an effective germicide both before and after infusion is highly effective in reducing mammary infections. Fresh cows and sick cows are both highly susceptible to infection. Only minimal sanitation of these animals while milking is generally practiced. Dipping prior to milking and leaving the germicide in contact with the teat while milking can be recommended as an additional procedure to reduce pathogens. All products used during milking should bear the label for product safety in food environments, and judicious use should not threaten product safety through potential residues.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

With the help of one's neighbors: externalities in the production of nutrition in Peru.

Both public and private resources contribute to the nutritional status of children. In addition, the investments made by one household may contribute to the health of other households in the neighborhood through improvements in the sanitation environment and through increases in shared knowledge. This paper measures the externalities of investments in nutrition by indicating the impact of the education of women in Peruvian neighborhoods on the nutrition of children in other households, after controlling for the education and income of those households. We find that in rural areas this shared knowledge has a significant impact on nutrition, with the coefficient of an increase in the average education of women in the neighborhood being appreciable larger than the coefficient of education in isolation. In addition, we indicate the impact of the water and sanitation environment in the neighborhood, again controlling for the household's own access to sanitation and water. In both urban and rural areas, we observe externalities from investments in such household level infrastructure with the evidence particularly strong for sanitation made by neighboring households.

Body Height↗
PubMed2003

De-worming school children and hygiene intervention.

Helminths or worm infestations refer to worms that live as parasites in the human body and are a fundamental cause of disease associated with health and nutrition problems beyond gastrointestinal tract disturbances. Globally, over 3.5 billion people are infected with intestinal worms, of which 1.47 billion are with roundworm, 1.3 billion people with hookworm and 1.05 billion with whipworm. School children aged 5 - 15 years suffer the highest infection rate and worm burden that attributes to poor sanitation and hygiene. About 400 million school-age children are infected with roundworm, whipworm and hookworm worldwide, a large proportion of whom are found in the East Asia region (Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam). These parasites consume nutrients from children they infect, thus retarding their physical development. They destroy tissues and organs, cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, intestinal obstruction, anaemia, ulcers and other health problems. All of these consequences of infection can slow cognitive development and thus impair learning. De-worming school children by anthelmintic drug treatment is a curative approach for expelling the heavy worm load. However, drug therapy alone is only a short-term measure of reducing worm infection and re-infection is frequent. Control measures through improved sanitation, hygiene and de-worming are needed to prevent infection and re-infection. UNICEF has supported many governments in this (and other) regions to assist in the provision of water supply and sanitary facilities and intensive hygiene education in many schools through the Water, Environment and Sanitation (WES) programme. The UNICEF supported school sanitation and hygiene education (SSHE) programme, and other programmes, could effectively enhance behaviour change in children to break the routes of worm transmission and other waterborne diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Improving the roles of rural women in health and environmental issues.

Safe water supply, sanitation facilities and safe environments are the priorities of the communities in the villages of Upper Egypt. However, personal hygienic behaviors need improvement for substantial promotion of family health. This cannot be met without the full participation of women in their various roles in their communities. Accordingly, 375 females belonging to rural villages of Egypt (VHVs) volunteered to have a role in health and sanitation aspects and disseminate hygienic messages to their communities. The objective of this study was to assess and upgrade the levels of awareness, attitude and practice of VHVs towards environmental sanitation, sanitary housing, personal hygiene, safe water, food safety, sanitary sewage and refuse disposals. Implementation of environmental health education courses resulted in significant improvement of VHVs' awareness, attitude and practice towards the majority of the environmental topics that were addressed. Similar extensive courses are recommended for the promotion of environmental sanitation in other communities.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The use of nutritional status as a second outcome measure in case-control studies of environmental risk factors for diarrhoeal diseases.

Case-control studies are typically used to study the effect of several factors on the risk/incidence rate of a single disease. This paper describes a particular situation in which it is of interest to study the effect of a factor--improved sanitation facilities--on the risk/incidence rate of two 'diseases'--the incidence rate of diarrhoea and the risk of undernutrition. The conditions under which it is valid to perform an analysis of the association between the risk factor (unimproved sanitation) and a second outcome variable (undernutrition) are examined. If the effect of exposure status (improved/unimproved sanitation facilities) on the propensity to report an episode of diarrhoea is independent of the effect of nutritional status it appears that such an analysis may be valid. There must also be no interaction between the risk factor (unimproved sanitation) and the second outcome (undernutrition) with respect to their effects as risk factors for the first outcome variable (diarrhoea incidence rate).

Bangladesh↗
PubMed2003

Social and institutional feasibility of recycling nutrients in waste in Southern Thailand.

The social and institutional feasibility of recycling plant nutrients in waste in three case study areas, Phattalung, Kuan Lang and Prik, in Southern Thailand has been studied. Three sanitation systems (existing with modifications and alternative) in each area have been evaluated with respect to their acceptance among the local stakeholders and accommodation within the Thai legal framework. Culturally, most proposed recycling methods were accepted by local users, and great interest was expressed towards many of the proposed sanitation systems, except recycling methods involving direct contact with human excreta in Prik (Islamic culture). The three existing systems were assessed to be the most convenient and practical among the nine, due to their low maintenance requirement and the low user fees. The proposed modified and alternative sanitation systems involved higher public participation and thereby a change in the understanding of where the responsibility of managing people's waste products should be placed. Institutionally all nine sanitation systems were accepted by local administrators and all recycling systems were well accommodated within the Thai legal framework. Thus recycling plant nutrients in waste seem both social and institutionally acceptable in Southern Thailand.

Agriculture↗
PubMed1989

Environmental health education in Micronesia.

Water supply and sanitation programmes in Micronesia require substantial capital investments. In the past, many of these projects have failed to achieve their maximum impact on preventing water-related diseases. Cases of cholera and the continuation of frequently occurring gastro-intestinal diseases undermine the expectations that new and planned water and sanitation systems will result in disease prevention. This report indicates that knowledge of water-related diseases and the understanding of the benefits of safe water supply and sanitation are limited as programmes in Micronesia that would educate the different sectors of the community have never been institutionalised. We have developed the first comprehensive system for teaching about water supply, sanitation and health in a Micronesian environment. The educational materials will be used as curricula in public education and as information resources for appropriate individuals in these remote and scattered communities of the Pacific.

Environmental Health↗
PubMed2002

Appraisal of knowledge and attitude of Akwa Ibomites toward a sustainable environment in Nigeria.

Developing countries are constantly and continuously confronted with a myriad of health and environmental problems that threaten the efforts to establish and maintain safe air and water supplies. Nigeria, in general, and Akwa Ibom State, in particular, are not isolated from increasing health and sanitation problems. My goal in this study was to determine the knowledge base of men and women related to sanitation and environmental health in Akwa Ibom State. I found no differences in the attitudes of men and women toward the sustainability of health or a healthy environment in the state. However, more sanitation and environmental education is needed as part of long-term strategy for abating sanitation and environmental health problems in this state.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Disinfection of food production areas.

Disinfection, other than by heat, is ineffective unless all surfaces have previously been thoroughly cleaned to remove interfering materials. Cleaning is therefore extremely important as part of a two-stage cleaning and disinfection (sanitation) programme. The author describes the principles of sanitation, the chemicals and equipment involved, and the programme of events to be followed. For food products of 'low risk' (in terms of stable shelf life and safety), traditional sanitation programmes are adequate and in some cases disinfection may not be required. However, disinfection is essential for 'high-risk' food products, but this cannot be effectively undertaken without due consideration of hygienic design and possible cross-contamination. To ensure continued satisfactory performance of a sanitation programme, routine assessments should be undertaken.

Animals↗